EeePC in Paris sold Like a phone

Had a message from Shayne Flint, who was Paris for a project with the Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University. He says the EeePC is being sold there like a phone, as part of a wifi access contract. He says he saw several of them being used in restaurants, coffee shops etc. during my 12 days in Paris. There was Wifi "everywhere and lots of it is free" (but usually very slow).